This invention relates to shipping and storage containers and more particularly to containers in which the base serves as a reusable pallet and which further has an independent top and bottom thereof.
Containers are used in a wide variety of applications requiring the storage and transportation of industrial goods. Many previous container designs employed wooden pallets which served as supporting members for these goods. The use of these pallets had several drawbacks, however, as the pallets required much valuable warehouse space, were subject to relatively easy breakage, and were not reusable over a relatively long period of time.
Improvements in container designs have been made and one such improvement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,830. This patent discloses a reusable pallet and a sleeve in the form of a cardboard box open at its lower end. A plurality of foldable tabs are integrally formed along the bottom edge of the sleeve. These tabs co-operate with the pallet so as to pass therethrough and be folded underneath the pallet so as to hold the sleeve, the pallet, and a top in assembly relation thereby forming a container. Other composite containers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,648,521 and 4,793,519 owned by the assignee of this application.
The pallet is preferably formed with a peripheral groove lying substantially at floor level to receive the edge of the sleeve in order that compressive forces applied to the container be transferred by the container to the floor. While improving over the wooden pallet design, the use of the tabs for connecting the pallet and sleeve can be improved on.
According to the present invention, a container is provided which employs a reusable pallet having a sidewall member having a plurality of openings therein, adjacent the bottom periphery thereof. The sidewall member and the pallet co-operate to define a recessed groove portion around the periphery of the pallet which at its upper end is raised above the surface upon which the pallet is placed. A sleeve in the form of an open bottom cardboard box is disposed within the defined groove portion, the sleeve having openings therein in communication with the openings of the sidewall portion.
A removable retainer clip is removeably extended through each of said openings and through the associated communicating sleeve opening while encircling the bottom of the sidewall member so as to securely lock the sleeve within the groove. Additionally, a plastic top portion is fitted over the top portion of the sleeve in substantially the same manner as the sleeve was fitted within the defined groove.
A dry break valve is also disclosed for use with a blow molded tank which is retained within the sleeve upon the pallet. The dry break valve insures that flow of material from within the tank will be discontinued immediately when the valve is closed.